"Did you know" Lahti 2017 Men's 50 km F

Sergey Ustiugov RUS -

Johan Olsson won the gold medal in the 50 km at the World Championships 2013, and the bronze medal in 2015.

Olsson could be the first to win three consecutive 50km medals at the WSC since Bjørn Dæhlie (1993-1997). Olsson’s Swedish compatriot, Torgny Mogren, won four consecutive WSC medals in 50km, including a silver medal at the WSC in Lahti 1989.

Olsson has eight career medals at the World Championships, equal with Thomas Wassberg in fourth position on Sweden's all-time ranking. Olsson can equal Torgny Mogren on nine medals. Gunde Svan (11) and Sixten Jernberg (15) are still ahead.

Marcus Hellner has won seven WSC medals and could equal Olsson and Wassberg (both 8).

Sweden won their first men’s medal by taking the bronze in the relay on Friday. Since Sweden finished the WSC in Ramsau 1999 without a men’s medal, they have won at least one medal at every WSC. In 2005 (bronze) and 2009 (silver) Sweden finished the WSC with only one men’s medal.

Petter Northug has won the last two 50 km freestyle races at the World Championships, winning this event in 2009 and 2011.

If Northug wins here, he will be the first athlete with three WSC gold medals in 50 km freestyle. Torgny Mogren is the only other athlete with more than one WSC gold in this event.

Northug is the only athlete with three WSC gold medal in 50 km (classic and freestyle). With his next win in this event he will equal Sixten Jernberg on four gold medals, leading the all-time list.

If Northug wins a medal he will become the second athlete to win more than two 50km freestyle WSC medals. Torgny Mogren has four.
Olsson and Northug are the only two athletes competing in Lahti who have won more than one WSC medal in a 50 km event.

Norway won their first gold in the men’s competitions by winning the relay on Friday. 1999 was the last time Norway finished a WSC with only one men’s gold medal. Norway won two men’s gold medals in 2001, 2003 and 2013.

Norway has won six men’s medals in Lahti, the same amount as in 2013 and 2015. They need two medals in the 50 km to equal their record of eight men’s medals in a WSC, set in 2003, 2005 and 2011.

Sergey Ustiugov could equal Dæhlie and Northug

Sergey Ustiugov has won a medal in all his four starts in Lahti. Ustiugov is the first Russian man to win four medals in one WSC.

If Ustiugov wins a medal on the 50 km, he will equal Bjørn Dæhlie (1997) and Petter Northug (2011) as the third athlete to win five medals at one World Championships.

Ustiugov could be the first man representing Russia to win three gold medals at the WSC. Nikolai Zimyatov won three gold medals representing the Soviet Union in 1980 (Olympic Games that also counted as WSC).

Russia is already enjoying their best WSC in the men’s competition, winning two gold and two silver. Russia has never won five men’s medals in a WSC, and never won three gold medals in a WSC.

Ustiugov has started only one international 50 km, finishing 36th in the World Cup in Oslo in 2015.